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Chapter: Uru Ore

Odin hesitated briefly about the World Devourer, then declared, "Let your master come. After he devours his planet, I'll detonate the star."

Unexpectedly, Stardust responded, "The master eats according to his own schedule, as part of natural law."

"Should I wait until he feels hungry?" Odin retorted.

"Yes, or you could choose another star. It's no trouble," Stardust replied casually.

Odin, growing angry, retorted, "Finding another star is trivial for me, but is it for the Planet Devourer to find another planet? Hmph, I'm proceeding with the star's detonation!"

With that, he swung the Spear of Eternity, releasing a beam from the Rainbow Bridge.

"You're defying natural law!" Stardust charged toward Odin, attempting to intervene while scolding him.

Odin retaliated with a burst of thunder, sending Stardust flying. "Don't interfere. If your master has objections, let him confront me himself!"

Stardust staggered, flickering with silver light before warning, "Odin, as Asgard's king, interfering with natural order will have consequences."

With that, Stardust departed in a silver streak, vanishing into deep space.

Elsewhere in the cosmos,

A colossal figure clad in purple-red armor akin to the Aesir stood amidst the stars. Upon noticing a silver streak approaching, he turned.

"Master," the streak dissipated, revealing a translucent figure with a radiant silver glow—Stardust.

"You've returned, Stardust," greeted the figure resembling the celestials—the Planet Devourer.

Angrily, Stardust reported, "Master, someone has seized your planet and is destroying the star to which it's tethered."

The Planet Devourer demanded, "Who dares? Inform me, and the invincible Planet Devourer will show the offender the inviolable laws of nature."

"Odin."

"Odin?" The Planet Devourer was taken aback. "You mean Odin of Asgard?"

"Yes, that arrogant king of Asgard!"

The Planet Devourer fell silent briefly before responding, "Very well. Let's discuss this when I am sated... I'm feeling a bit weak at the moment."

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The Rainbow Bridge's beam surged from the Eternal Spear, traversing the nebula to strike the star's core.

Empowered by Asgardian might, the dying star reacted as if struck by a Martian dynamite, disintegrating rapidly. Its core collapsed, releasing immense light and heat.

After eons, the dying star expended its last energy in a dazzling burst.

The star's explosion swept the surrounding cosmos with a torrent of light, heat, and matter, obliterating planets, satellites, and celestial bodies into cosmic dust.

As before, Odin departed with the dwarf mining ship after triggering the star's detonation, waiting for its aftermath.

Days later, the mining ship returned amidst the starry debris.

Inside the cabin, Eitri manipulated a complex golden compass. Its twelve needles spun and quivered, pointing in various directions as if seeking something.

Observing the intricate compass, Eitri adjusted the ship's course and speed, quickly locating a piece of Uru ore.

The mining ship's steel arm secured the ore, bringing it aboard.

Eitri began examining the ore.

"What's the quality this time?" Odin inquired.

Eitri nodded with a smile, "We're fortunate. This batch of Uru ore is exceptional. We should be able to extract high-quality Uru, perhaps even the finest."

"Commission of Uru?" Odin's eyes gleamed.

"Yes, though likely only a small amount, maybe one-tenth," Eitri clarified.

Odin sighed at the mention, a grim expression crossing his face.

By dwarven tradition, one-tenth of the highest quality Uru metal must be offered as tribute. Thus, even if a few top-grade Uru samples were extracted, they would belong to the dwarves.

"Prince Eitri, the dwarves must have amassed a significant amount of high-quality Uru. What do you intend to do with it?" Forseti inquired.

"Nothing," Eitri responded.

"Nothing?"

"Yes, until the end draws near," Eitri elaborated. "Among dwarven prophecy, accumulating sufficient supreme metal will save us from annihilation. So we continue this practice—collecting as much premium Uru as possible."

Odin assured, "Asgard will protect the dwarves. Your fate will be secure unless Asgard itself is imperiled."

The mining ship continued its meticulous collection of Uru ore amidst the stellar wreckage.

This process proved lengthy and arduous, given the vastness of stellar debris. Even with the mining ship's speed, scouring enough material took considerable time.

Thanks to Eitri's compass, which displayed Uru distributions, the search was facilitated. Otherwise, it would be akin to finding a needle in a haystack.

Odin attended to various matters, remaining another day before departing for Asgard, leaving Forseti, Bill , and others behind.

Months passed as they diligently collected ore.

During this period, Forseti and Beta Ray Bill naturally conversed. Over time, Forseti discovered bill to be an exceptionally noble character.

Through daily interactions, it became evident that Beta Ray Bill was almost incapable of falsehood, breach of trust, or anger, embodying an idealistic sense of justice.

His power, too, was formidable—roughly on par with a second-tier Aesir deity. This was primarily due to extensive body enhancements undergone on Corbin, with certain tissues, such as bones, replaced by potent mechanical components.

"Bill, you mentioned being korbin's second guardian?" Forseti queried.

"Yes, though the last person who recieved transformation had its physical and mental challenges," Beta Ray Bill affirmed.

"Was the transformation painful?"

"Indeed, it remains my most agonizing memory. I'm amazed I survived," Beta Ray Bill reflected.

At this, Eitri interjected, "Well, I believe we've amassed enough ore to forge a warhammer."

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